Mr. Comey’s dangerous October surprise
MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2016 12:00 AM
By Dana Milbank
The Washington Post
When FBI Director James B. Comey testified before Congress in July about his recommendation not to prosecute Hillary Clinton, he mentioned at least 10 times how important it was that he be transparent ...
Then he testified to Congress about being “a big fan of transparency” and a “huge fan of transparency” because “transparency matters tremendously” and “that’s what makes our democracy great. ... Transparency is the absolute best thing for me and for democracy.”
Now Comey has decided opacity is better for him, sending a vague letter to Congress while leaving it to anonymous officials to attempt to explain his reasoning to the public, via the press. Does he suppose that the American people no longer “deserve those details in a case of intense public interest”? In his brief words written to FBI employees Friday, Comey acknowledged there was a “significant risk of being misunderstood.”
By falling short of his own standards of transparency, Comey is harming both election integrity and his well-deserved personal integrity. He needs to explain himself if he hopes to salvage either.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/jackson_hole_daily/opinions/mr-comey-s-dangerous-october-surprise/article_bbbad298-9b6a-5886-9090-42cc6a21596f.html